Pumbaa: :walks into the room, coughs.: Dusty in here. :Uses his tail as a feather duster, dusts off the computer desk.:
Zuri: :pushes a cobweb out of the way.: What are we doing here anyway?
Timon: :jumps onto the desk, looking at some papers.: Kari said she was getting ready to write another fic. :Finds the fan art of him and Zuri.: Awww... :Pause.: My nose is NOT that big!
:The lights suddenly come on, surprising the trio. They scream.:
Kari: :walks in.: Chill, guys. Just me.
Timon: Don't ever do that again! Humans... oy!
Kari: Yeah, missed you guys, too. :Looks at the desk.: Oy, it's amazing how dusty this can get while you're waiting for inspiration to hit.
Pumbaa: You were just here a week ago when you wrote that epilogue for the last fic.
Kari: Yeah, but cleaning around this house stirs up more dust. :Sits at the desk, cracks her knuckles.: OK! Let's see what magic I can work up:Turns to readers.: Hey, guys. I decided for this fic (and probably only used in this fic), I'm giving Timon's mother a name. Normally, I don't like doing that to copyright characters, but kinda has to be done for this. I'm gonna call her Panya; other times, I'll just call her Ma. This may be a short story, too, compared to the other two. But we'll see. UPDATE: Removed Hakuna Matata and Digga Tunnah lyrics.
An Old Fight
By Kari Gilmore
Chapter 1:
Timon and Pumbaa were enjoying a good-old fashioned singalong as they walked along a familiar log. Timon was about to break into the chorus when he suddenly heard his name being called.
"Timon!" Timon grimaced and stood as Zuri came onto the log, holding her arms out to balance.
"You know how to ruin a good mood, don't you, Zuri?" Timon asked, leaning his weight on Pumbaa's snout.
Zuri stepped up next to Pumbaa. "I love singing as much as you do, Timon, but it's time."
Timon's eyes widen and he rushed over to her. "It's time! Pumbaa, boil the family! Call some water! Err, I mean, boil some water and call the family!"
"No, Timon, not that time. I've still got a few weeks to go," Zuri said, patting her swelled stomach.
Timon let out sigh of relief and a nervous smile. "I didn't think it was spring yet." He blinked, "Then what time is it?"
Zuri grinned, got behind Timon, and started to push him away. "My brother Sudi asked us to baby-sit, remember?"
"Baby-sit! Uh-oh, no way!"
"Was that implying you don't remember, or you don't wanna do it now?"
"Both, actually."
"Aw, c'mon, Timon. I'll be having the pups in just a few weeks. It'll be good practice." She grinned as she pushed him off the log. "Besides, Great Timon, you don't have a choice in the matter."
Timon landed and dusted himself off. "Crud. And I was having such a good day, too..." He turned back to Pumbaa. "Sorry, buddy, you're gonna have to entertain yourself for a few hours!" He helped Zuri down from the log and they walked away.
"Bye, Pumbaa!"
Pumbaa whimpered and sat down on the log. "It's so hard for Timon and I to spend any time together anymore. What am I gonna do to keep myself occupied until he gets back? Jina's off visiting family and--" He suddenly perked up. "Ohh, I know!" He got up and trotted in the opposite direction Timon and Zuri went.
Timon's mother was peeling the bark back on a tree, finding several grubs underneath. She grabbed a few and popped them into her mouth. She sniffed the air for a moment, then turned around to see Pumbaa approaching. "I thought I smelled warthog," she said to herself.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Ma!" Pumbaa said as he sat down next to her. "Timon and Zuri are babysitting, and Jina's away visiting family, so I don't have anyone to do nothing with."
"So, why come to me?" Ma asked as she grabbed a few more grubs from the tree.
"Well, I was kinda, sorta hoping..." Pumbaa dug his hoof into the ground, "maybe you could tell me some more stories about Timon when he was younger?"
Ma grinned as she turned to face him. "I told you all the good ones already, from when Timon started digging tunnels to when he left the colony and met you."
"Oh." Pumbaa frowned as she turned back to grab a few more grubs, then he perked up again. "Then how about some stories about you and Mr. Buzz? Or when you first met Shomari's colony?"
Ma swallowed what was in her mouth, and coughed. She padded her throat and cleared it. "Well..."
"Pleeeeeeease?" Pumbaa knelt down to her level and gave her the big sad eyes. He then flashed a big cheesy smile.
"Oy... with the face and the eyes..." Ma rubbed her paw over her face. "All right, all right. I'll think of a story to tell you."
"Yay!" Pumbaa plopped down in front of her.
"Now, let's see..." Ma rubbed her chin and paced in a circle, thinking. "All right, I thought of one. It takes place in autumn, about five months before Timon was born..."
6 1/2 years ago...
A few meerkats carried a large branch towards their tunnel, singing in a very monotone expression. The song they sang lacked creative lyric as well as a beat. But it was something to keep them busy as they worked.
Two familiar-looking meerkats, each only a year old, were digging under some roots. One stood up and swallowed what was in his mouth. He ran a paw through his dark hair and sighed. "That's an annoying work song," he said.
"Well, no offense, Buzz, but what do you expect from a song that was written by your uncle Max?" the other asked, still head first in her hole.
"Guess you've got a point, Panya." He looked over at his friend Panya, who had just pulled a tuber out from underground. "And that's why it's taking so long make these tunnels."
"It's really hard to settle into a new home when it's still under construction. Can't you talk to Max about changing the beat or something?"
"Like he'll listen!" a voice from behind them laughed. Buzz and Panya turned to see Pete walk up to them.
Buzz furrowed his brow at him, "What do you mean by that, Pete?"
Pete held his paws up. "I was only implying he'll be going deaf soon enough. So he wouldn't really be listening."
"He may be right. Max is already tone-deaf," Panya said with a grin.
Buzz laughed, "Yeah, maybe." He grinned and broke some twigs off a passing branch being carried by two meerkats. "But I'm gonna help this digging beat along. Watch this." He leaped onto a nearby hollow log and started to beat on it with the twigs, creating a hollow beating sound. Several meerkats popped out of their holes to see what the noise was.
"That's the strangest alarm I've ever heard!" Uncle Max said, climbing out of his hole. The other meerkats followed Max over to the log, where Buzz was still banging on the log. "Buzz! What are you doing?"
"Just giving the digging beat a beat, Uncle Max!" Buzz replied.
"It's a beat, all right, but not much of a digging one," Pete said, tapping his foot.
"That's because you're not digging!" Buzz's tail whacked the fungus growing on the log, creating a second beat. The other meerkats got caught in the rhythm, bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. They went back to their holes and started digging along with the beat.
"Eh, not bad, nephew. But you can't dig on a beat alone!" Uncle Max said.
"Huh?" Buzz blinked, not quite understanding.
"I think he means you have to sing!" Panya yelled up to him to be heard over the drumming.
"Oh..." Buzz thought a moment. He sang a lyric simular to the existing one, but it didn't match the lyric. He shook his head. "No, that won't work..." he mumbled to himself. He tried again, a little less successful than the first attempt.
"Not helping!" Max shouted.
Buzz grimaced. He listened to the beat he was providing and then grinned. "OK, try this one on for size!" He resumed the beat as he sang along.This time the lyric matched the beat, after changing the letting a bit. Soon the other meerkats got into the rhythm and sang along.A few came back up to the top to gather more branches and rocks. Panya, Pete, and Uncle Max went to work as well as Buzz supplied the beat and the lyrics. By the time the sun had set, the tunnel construction had proceeded greatly. Everyone was deciding which section of the tunnel they wanted to live in. Buzz decided he would sleep in the northern tunnels, as did Panya. Others chose from the other wings and settled for the night. Panya was carrying the tuber she had dug up earlier and tossed it into her nest. She stretched and yawned, and then climbed into her nest. She suddenly felt someone approaching, so she turned to see whom it was.
The meerkat leaned his weight against the wall of Panya's nest, looking her over. "I hope you're not planning on getting comfortable here, Panya."
Panya furrowed her brow at the visitor and started to straighten her nest out. "Why not?"
"You're a year old now. Tomorrow you'll be picking a husband and moving to his nest. And if one of the strong meerkats pick you to be his wife..."
Panya gulped, blushing a bit. "I highly doubt it, Shomari. Me, being among the few meerkats in this colony allowed to have pups?"
"It's been known to happen to meerkats less... presentable than you," Shomari cleared his throat.
Panya growled, "Is there something you want, or did you just come to rub my fur the wrong way?"
Shomari looked at her a moment, and then he grinned. "Nah... I just wanted to see if what I heard was true."
"To see if what's true?"
"I heard you were cute when you're angry. You're not, really." He frowned when Buzz stepped between the two of them.
"That's a matter of opinion. Scram," Buzz softly growled. Shomari stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked away. Buzz exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Creep." He turned to Panya, who bowed her head and merely nodded. Buzz looked at her, a bit concerned. "Are you OK, Panya?"
"I'm worried Shomari may be right. I'm afraid because of my appearance, I won't find a suitable... suitor."
Buzz put a paw on her shoulder. "Hey, don't listen to anything Shomari says. He's one of those guys who purposely make girls mad to have fun. I happen to think you're cute when you're angry."
Panya looked up at him. "Just when I'm angry, Buzz?"
Buzz gulped softly. "Well, I'd be lying if I said yes. But then I have known you ever since we were pups." He stepped back. "Uh... guess I'll be going to my nest."
He started to walk away, but stopped when Panya said his name, "Buzz." He looked back at her, seeing a light blush in her cheeks. "Tomorrow night is the competition for mating rights..."
"Is it the new moon tomorrow night already?" Buzz asked, sounding a bit surprised.
"Yes, it is. If you don't mind my asking... do you have anyone in mind?"
Buzz looked taken aback by this question. He cleared his throat. "I haven't been eying too many females."
"I'm surprised. I mean, look at you. You're the most likely meerkat I know who'll father pups. I would've thought you'd have someone in mind by now."
"I haven't thought that far ahead. What about you, Panya? I mean, if one of the three strong meerkats don't pick you and you have to settle for the weaker members, who would you pick?"
"Please. All the guys would rather be friends with me than be my husband."
Buzz grimaced, then he pouted his lips a moment. "You don't know that for sure. A lot of guys these days don't pick a girl on looks alone. There is such a thing as personality."
"I guess... but I want to have pups. What if the three strong meerkats who get their first picks of the females don't pick me?"
Buzz was silent for a moment. "Well, you could leave this colony and try your luck at another."
"And be a rogue? I don't think I could do that."
"I wouldn't want you to do that either. I'd miss hanging out with you."
Panya smiled slightly. "Heh. Thanks, Buzz. Sorry I kept you. Good night."
"Good night, Panya." Buzz turned and walked away, leaving her alone to settle into her nest.
To be continued...